The 6th essential in getting hired as a youth pastor is to: Ask before you apply.
It is crucial that you take the time necessary to do your due diligence in discovering as much about the prospective church as possible. Don't be afraid to be selective.
For example, if you are a dyed-in-the-wool charismatic/pentecostal, don't apply for youth pastor jobs at churches that do not share your doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It does a huge dis-service (and is a big waste of time) for you to send a resume for an organization where you would not be a good fit (philosophically, doctrinally, or otherwise).
It's easy to fall in to the habit of applying for every student ministry job that appears on churchstaffing.com; however, it is worth it to be patient and wait for the right kind of opportunities to come around.
Here are a few different areas that might make you a bad "fit" for a specific youth ministry job:
Geographic Location
If you don't want to live in (or don't feel called to) Alaska, don't apply for youth pastor jobs in Alaska.
Job Description
If a particular church is looking for a youth pastor who is high in administrative gifting, don't apply if your ministry is typically characterized by last-minute decisions, and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants spontaneity.
Doctrine/Philosophy of Ministry
If you are missional in your ministry philosophy and the prospective church is attractional, you will be miserable. Don't apply.
Don't apply for any ministry positions in which you feel like you would need to "change the church" to be happy. As a new youth pastor, while you certainly want to add value and impact in the church, it's not your job to change it (or the Senior Pastor for that matter). If you wouldn't be happy now, you won't be happy later.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful tips.It's very useful.
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